The Future Present
by Koriember
Summary: One by one, the Shepherds of Ylisse fell.
1. Dead, Tiny One

...Dead, Tiny One

"Lucina..."

The princess turned to see her father idly strolling to her, and she rose to meet him. Gesturing for her to sit back down, Chrom took a seat next to her and wrapped his arm around his daughter lovingly.

"You fought well out there. Don't be surprised when I saw you deflect those arrows that were heading for me in the middle of your own duel," The current Exalt smiled.

"I... I know. But it's not good enough yet." Chrom sulked, but brightened up in attempts to make Lucina do the same.

"In the future..."

"Yes?"

"I haven't died yet, have I," Chrom whispered sadly, knowing the answer already.

"No... You sustained so many injuries during the war against the Fell Dragon... But you were one of the last to fall."

"Our whole company, dead..." Chrom mused, plucking grass from atop the log they were sitting on.

"Only 12 children remained, vengeance and fear fueling our steps through that portal..."

"Tell me," Chrom muttered through strained teeth.

"What?" Lucina asked, caught off guard by the horrifying memories that were to be recalled for this task.

"Tell me how it ends."


	2. Heroes' Death

A Hero's Death

"Mom, why not make the spear longer?" Cynthia asked, sweating amidst the heat and ash of the forge.

"We're making a javelin," Sumia explained, "And javelins are much more compact than spears, for ease of use and weight and stuff."

"Ahh, that... makes sense?"

"Well, the lighter the spear, the easier it is to use! And javelins happen to be lightest of all, so even a beginner can throw a javelin with ease with enough practice and arm strength." The future pegasus knight immediately brightened up at the possibility...

"Could I?" Sumia laughed heartily, grinning from ear to ear at her daughter as she grabbed the shaft of the weapon and hoisted it in a motion too familiar to her.

"You... you could. But we'll have to finish the spearhead first, or else it won't fly straight." Cynthia almost appeared upset, but smiled again and bowed graciously to her mother and almost tripping herself.

"I... Okay!"

"Anyway, it's almost time for bed, why don't you clean yourself off and say good night to your father?" The orange-haired knight giggled lightly, turning with a nod.

"And goodnight to you, greatest Mom in the world!"

* * *

Gaius frowned as he searched his cache, swearing under his breath just as light footsteps came in.

"Hey Dad!" The thief grinned, seeing something far greater than sweets running towards his arms.

"Hey Cyn! Oof, watch the goods... Anyway, ready for bed?" The girl nodded excitedly, skipping around before crawling into the bed as Gaius shut his chest and locked the box.

"Tell me the story of how you became a hero!" Cynthia exclaimed, rearranging the pillows and snuggling against her father's arm.

"Again?"

"Again."

"Well, you know what I was before Chrom found me: A thief, and a criminal. Well one time, I rescued Brady's mother from being attacked by hit men, but she still hates me because in the process, I kinda framed her dad..."

"Then what!?"

"Well? I fended off her attackers and told her the truth after we grew up! And now, I have the backings of a rich family and the gratitude of a damsel with a hefty purse!"

"Wow..." Cynthia breathed, snuggling into the crook of Gaius' arm with a smile.

"But what if you fell for her instead of Mom?" Cynthia asked, a frown almost starting on her face.

"Yikes... Well, first off," Gaius started, cringing from the thought of a Maribelle wearing his ring, "I couldn't brag about my daughter as much as I could!" Cynthia squealed, fluttering about before laughing into her father's arms.

"You're the biggest hero in the world, Dad! Along with Mom!"

"You're not too helpless yourself, miss pega-pony-princess!" Gaius teased. Cynthia squealed again, forcing the thief to cover his ears.

"Gods..." He recovered, only to find his daughter fast asleep, and just as Sumia walked in with a yawn.

"C'mere, you," Gaius laughed at his wife, smiling as both his sides were occupied with beautiful girls.

* * *

"You sure you wanted to leave it there?" Gaius asked, gesturing to his own ring that was still on his finger. Sumia frowned, shrugging in apology.

"The jewel hooked onto the harness of the reigns last time, almost broke my finger if I hadn't been fast enough," The knight explained. "Besides, it's in our drawer, just above where your stash is."

"Wait, you know about that?"

"Oops."

* * *

"Where are the Shepherds going today, Lucy?" Cynthia asked, watching the convoy stay behind as the fighting force departed.

"Something about an outbreak of Risen," The young princess responded, twirling her rapier with pride.

"I wish I could've finished my weapon too," Cynthia complained, gesturing to the spear shaft that she brought around with her.

"I bet it's gonna be great!" Lucina complimented, admiring the craftsmanship.

"Just like my parents! It's going to be invincible!"

* * *

"Y-you... fly back... Warn the others," Gaius muttered, an arrow protruding clean through his chest and another one shattering his right kneecap.

"I'm not... I'm never leaving you!" Sumia cried, dismounting her Pegasus which stayed behind faithfully.

"You... who's going to take care of Cynthia?" The thief cursed, struggling to stay on his feet even as arrows whizzed by overhead. Sumia let out another yelp as an arrow grazed her thigh, forcing her to duck.

"We are, after we get out of her-" An arrow flew clean through Sumia's neck, forcing the knight to gurgle on blood even as her eyes rolled back in her skull, her last memories being Gaius' scream of anguish.

"Sumia!" With a growl, he grabbed Sumia's body and mounted the Pegasus, even as another arrow pierced his back. Sumia was already dead. With a sob, Gaius attempted to fly off, but the Pegasus wouldn't budge. Not even the husband of its rider was trustworthy enough to take flight on its back, Gaius realized.

With a nod, the thief kicked the winged beast on its flank, causing it to take off towards the camp, without him.

Placing his wife's body behind him, Gaius stared down the legion of Risen, with nothing but a steel sword in his hands. Putting his last lollipop in his mouth, he made one last charge towards his enemies, defending his wife's corpse.

Arrow upon arrow struck the thief, until finally, the blood loss and the shock was too much for his body to handle, choking on the candy in his mouth, Gaius laughed bitterly at the cruel war that claimed his wife only minutes before. He couldn't even strike down one.

"C-cynthia... You'll be an e-even greater hero than us... I know it. My... P-ony... Prince-"

* * *

Walking slowly to the portal, Cynthia clutched the spearhead in her hand as she stepped through. That same hand wore her mother's ring, and against her belt lay the few lollipops in her Father's cache. The last one was already in her mouth, lining her grim smirk.

She would be the first. She would be their hero.


	3. Here Were Dragons

AN: I'm gonna resume my other works after this one, just decided to try my hand at 3edgy5you materials while the school schedule allowed for free time. Thanks for being patient, faithful fans.

* * *

Here Were Dragons

"M-minerva?"

Gerome stepped closer to the sleeping wyvern, fear in his eyes but courage slightly overcoming it.

"Minerva," Gerome repeated, tiptoeing ever closer to the beast his mother valued so deeply.

He had to be strong enough. He had to. How else would Father realize his strength? How else would Mother acknowledge his growth?

Now he was right in front of Minerva, and the wyvern's nostrils flared with every exhale. The child gulped, and with both eyes closed, he braced his arm as he leaned closer and closer to-

Minerva lunged forward, knocking Gerome against the tent wall roughly. The impact was so great that Gerome could not even hear himself yelp and groan in response, but he definitely could hear his heart racing as the black wyvern stepped to him like he was a fly on its dung.

"M-minerva... M-MOM! HELP!"

A brown blur suddenly tackled Minerva's head and held on, and Gerome could of sworn he heard a hearty laugh instead of that of one attacking a dragon-

"Nice try Minervykins! You'll have to be a lot quicker than old Teach to touch my boy! Haha!" Vaike was easily flung upwards, smashing his body against the tent ceiling before striking the ground again with a sickeningly loud crunch. Gerome's heart dropped when his Father didn't move.

"F-father?" Vaike stirred, a smirk lining his dirty face as he stretched a hand toward his son.

"G... Your turn," The warrior spat out, pointing towards Minerva, who was still watching attentively.

What? Father wanted him to do the same thing he just attempted? Wait! That's it! He would prove his strength as-

Minerva swung her tail towards Gerome, easily slicing through the tent fabric even as the young man leaped gracefully over it, grappling onto the wyvern's tail as he prepared to make history for his parents.

"What?" Vaike groaned, watching his son mount Minerva in a most unorthodox fashion.

"No one out-dares the Vaike!" With a surge of strength, Vaike sprang to his feet, only for him almost get run over by the charging Minerva, spinning frantically to get Gerome off her back.

"What's with all the racke-" Cherche's fatigue turned into shock as she saw both her husband and her son grappling with Minerva, the latter clearly in a better position-

Wait. He's finally riding her!

"Minervy! Sit!" Immediately, the wyvern stopped and both males released a sigh in relief.

"Care to explain?" Cherche asked her husband, only for the blonde to point at his son who was tightly clutching Minerva's back.

"Gerome? Were you trying to ride Minerva again?" The boy meekly nodded.

"Well?" Cherche repeated, not settling with his gesture.

"I... I was. I wanted to show you that I could be brave, too. I can fight in this war, too! I want to be strong enough to defend you and dad!" Cherche immediately softened, and Vaike couldn't help but smile in pride.

"Kid, the Teach don't need no defending. But he definitely has a boy worthy of his tutelage! Whattya say we practice that ax work after tomorrow's march? Can't have my boy swinging a limp set of arms around, after all," Gerome smiled at his father, and turned hopefully to his mother.

"I..." Cherche began, "I suppose you two could. But Gerome..."

"Yes, mother?"

"I never wanted you to witness the horrors of this war... You don't have to be strong enough to defend us... We shouldn't even be here in the first place, but we have to."

"That's why I want to join you! A shield twice as thick is-"

"Twice as heavy, twice as visible, and twice as unwieldy."

"Twice as strong..." Gerome tried, frowning at his mother's sternness.

"I realize you have good intentions, son, but that doesn't change the fact that you're too young and too inexperienced for this war... The risen? They have no mercy, and I don't want y-"

"I'm not strong enough, am I?" Gerome muttered, staring at the ground. Vaike immediately grabbed him, leading him off, but Cherche stopped him.

"Gerome, it's not that you're not strong enough to defend us..."

"Huh?"

"You're not strong enough to lose us."

* * *

They came out of nowhere, like usual. The Risen archers tended to ambush near rivers, so tactics made certain that the flyers kept to the rear when hell came loose.

But once it did, Minerva soared and ducked and weaved, any arrows striking her hide merely pinging off against her rough scales. The rider was too high off the ground to get hurt by the arrows, and any that did strike her merely collided with her armor and fell to the ground.

Vaike stayed with the wagons, fighting off any Risen that strayed from the battle to attack the healers, injured, or children.

"Hyah!" Vaike hollered, throwing a hand ax in a clean arc before splitting an archer clean through its head, steam and purple smoke spilling out. Parrying the blade of a myrmidon, Vaike shifted his footwork and drop kicked the risen before beheading it swiftly with his own.

Watching the skies, he saw both Cordelia and Cherche mop up any riders, the latter taking up after the most recent death of Sumia. Just the though of death was enough to distract Vaike, and he failed to see the mage channel a spell in the distance.

The fireball that came, did not fly unnoticed, and the warrior torqued his body to avoid getting the worst of the spell. Still, he could feel his back peeling and a tingling sensation as the flames licked at his bare skin. Rolling in the dirt, Vaike figured his whole torso was burned clean and that he definitely needed to see a healer.

That is, until he saw the mage shift attention towards the wyvern above...

"Not today, bastard!" The blonde ax man ran as fast as he could towards the mage, hurling his only weapon in hopes to distract it. It didn't, flying far to the right, and the spell that came forth from the mage struck Cherche fully on her shoulder, causing both wyvern and rider to spin in flight, the latter's armor catching ablaze as well.

"Oh shit!" Vaike muttered, tackling the mage and, weaponless, punched repeatedly until the brains splattered themselves upon the rocks and his fists were as bloody as the head they were inside.

"Cherche!" The warrior cried, seeing his wife nearly unconscious from the fire that couldn't be put out on her. He chased after Minerva, a futile attempt, even as he heard Cherche's screams from being cooked in her own armor.

* * *

"Dammit, Agh!" Cherche yelped, the fire spell not reacting well with her armor and setting it ablaze. immediately, her fear of flames from taming Minerva resurfaced, and she broke into shock.

"No... No! No!" The wyvern rider screamed, the fire eating away at her flesh and causing her vision to blur. She slumped forward on Minerva's reigns, causing the beast to panic as well.

"I can't... I need to be strong for... Gerome." The flames finally reached her head, and setting it ablaze, she blacked out from pain and asphyxia, releasing the reigns and falling into the river below with a hard splash.

* * *

"Dammit!" Vaike cursed, watching his wife's gruesome death, only hoping Gerome did not see it as well. Weaponless, the warrior stared grimly at the circle of Risen that had followed him when he took off, and seeing the wagons safe, Vaike nodded slowly. A very faint smile lined his mouth as he challenged death alone and helpless.

"Don't worry Cherche. I'm right behind you." With a savage yell, Vaike ran full speed towards a swordsman, grabbing its arms while at the same time swinging his legs under it and disarming the zombie before splitting its torso in two. Dodging a few spells, he dismembered a mage before turning too late at an enemy ax wielder. Raising his non-dominant side to shield the strike, the enemy's weapon sheared his left arm clean off, causing Vaike to nearly black out from pain. Not giving up just yet, Vaike raised his good arm and gutted the ax-wielder, blood spraying from his severed shoulder onto the ground as he fell to one knee, sword in the dirt.

"N-not like this... Gotta... Gerome... Outta here-" An arrow to the chest ended the warrior's thoughts, sending him careening towards the red mud in a heap, dying.

Just as he passed, Vaike could have sworn he saw Minerva fly back towards the wagon.

"Th-there's still one of us left."

* * *

Gerome led Minerva by the reigns as he stepped through the portal, his mask shielding any discretion of fear or worry on his face. In reality, all that mask had ever concealed were dried tears and the anguish of loss. He knew he wasn't strong enough, but then again, neither were they, if he was alone. Fate had showed him its cruel side, but perhaps he could change that.

No. He wasn't strong enough to protect them from their fate. But just maybe, a shield thrice as thick could redirect it.


	4. Playtime's End

AN: JK I need to make a female have a heroic death. Luckily I know just the one.

* * *

Playtime's End

Nah sat alone in her corner of the tent, gazing outside to the world so close, yet foreign to her touch.

"Where are you?" She asked aloud, knowing no one would answer.

It had been like this for a couple months now, having been transferred from the pathetic excuse that was now the Shepherd militia to the local Ylissean orphanage. Ever since the deaths of more than 10 of their finest warriors, Most of the children had been relocated since clearly being by the remaining adults was too much to risk.

Nah still did not know where her parents were, though.

She never would, it seemed.

* * *

Nowi let loose a couple tears as her and Frederick stood side by side, watching in despair as the Shepherds behind them sped away both on horseback and on wing.

"Nah..." Frederick whispered under his faint breath, still standing straight despite leaving his Lord Chrom and his daughter behind them.

"We'll see 'em again," Nowi reassured, holding Frederick's arm with one hand and her dragonstone in the other.

"No... No we will not," Frederick stated flatly, killing any remnant of hope left in his heart. Nowi nodded slowly in grim realization.

They volunteered to protect the village and the fleeing Shepherds from the coming tide of Risen.

They volunteered to die.

No. They volunteered to save them, Frederick forced himself to believe, his stance quivering in fear as the coming tide of Risen came over the horizon.

"You ready?" Nowi asked quietly, lifting up her hand but being stopped by Frederick.

"Promise me we'll die together," Frederick asked, his last request one simply phrased. Nowi nodded and raised her hand, a bright flash signifying her last shift into her dragon form. Her voice rang and echoed, her serpentine head breathing ice and frost as she replied.

"For Nah."

* * *

Chrom watched sadly as Robin tore another book, his frustrations growing ever stronger with more and more of his soldiers dying.

"Gods damn it all," The tactician sobbed, scratching another two names from the roster with a quaking hand.

"Rob-"

"No! I will not lose more of you! In the three years I've been here, I never even got the opportunity to focus on my own soldiers! Tell me Chrom, how much do you think I know about Frederick and Nowi? Let me answer that! Even less then I knew about Gaius and Sumia! And don't even get me started on how much of a stranger Cherche was to me when she died, or how little me and Vaike sparred! I am losing soldiers Chrom!" Robin sank to the ground in anguish, his prince watching from a few feet behind him.

"S-soldiers... that were supposed to be my brothers and sisters. Soldiers... That I never had the opportunity to learn from." Clawing at his wrist where Grima's mark lay, Robin drew blood from his own hand as Chrom struggled to restrain him.

"Robin! It's not too late! We can still win this!"

"No... But I'll do everything in my power to keep you guys alive."

* * *

With his last joust with the enemy lines, his steed took multiple arrows to its stomach and collapsed with a horrifying gurgling of blood and pain. Rolling over, Frederick dismounted and shifted to ground combat, discarding his lance in favor for his sword. Nowi flew overhead, evading arrows while blasting the enemy archers and mages with her ice breath. A few arrows hit their mark, and Frederick noticed more than several spots on Nowi's body where fire spells seared off her scales.

Slicing the body of a mymidon in half, Frederick's fatigue hit as an axe went straight into his sword, knocking it aside and spraining his wrist. Switching hands, the knight breathed a second wind and stabbed the fighter before using its body as a shield to protect from the volley.

Nowi felt her breath run dry as her next set of targets evaded her ice from above, so she dove and began making strafing runs with her body swooping and plowing through any risen slow enough to duck.

That is, until a wyrm slayer came out of nowhere and sheered off part of her tail from behind, causing her to spiral into the ground with a thud. Frederick ran up to her and seeing her alive, took a defensive stance by his wife's body. Multiple arrows impacted, but all of them hitting the armored knight instead of the dragon. Grunting, Frederick scooped to one knee, deflecting a couple with sword before an arrows went straight into his palm, rendering the whole arm useless.

"Damn it," Frederick wheezed, "Nowi... Run."

"No."

"Please... We cannot wish to stop them... I can at least draw them out while you escape-"

"Not yet," The manakete whispered, taking off again into the sky. "Not like this!" Flying straight up, she recollected her thoughts into a focused stream of hate and adrenaline.

"Not like this!" She screamed, piercing the clouds with her head before turning and diving straight down, her mouth frothing with ice and magic. Soon, her whole body was glowing.

"We die together!" Frederick heard Nowi roar, coming from the clouds with a bright aura of white and blue amidst her yellow form. Suddenly, a lightning spell struck Frederick, paralyzing him as more and more magic hit his body, forcing his vision black.

But not before Nowi dive-bombed their grave, obliterating everything within a few miles of their death.

Not a single risen remained.

Not a single human remained.

Not a single dragon remained.

* * *

Nah heard the tent rustle and a familiar blue wave of hair held gripped her shoulder, shocking her.

"L-Lucina?"

"Nah. We're going."

"Where?" She asked, the orphanage feeling a lot safer than where Lucina had in mind.

"We're going to save them."

"B-but..."

"It's either you come with us or stay here," Lucina stated flatly, turning back outside the tent. Nah called for her to wait and with no response, she exited the tent to find the other children looking at her.

"We're going to find them," Nah reassured herself.

"I'll find them."


End file.
